Blogfinger

Ocean Grove beach front. January, 2015. By Bob Bowné. © Special to Blogfinger

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net

Today a letter was posted in the Coaster (Nov. 22, 2017) from the new President of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, Michael Badger. He did not send it to Blogfinger, so I am going by the Coaster version.  As you recall, the CMA recently threatened to sue the Township if the permit parking plan was implemented.

But this letter, which quarrels with the plan, assumes the details of the plan when it has not yet been shared with the public.   His aggressive and totally negative stance, it seems to me, is premature since the Township won’t present the plan until Nov. 27.

At that Township meeting, at 6 pm, Committeeman Carol Rizzo will  present the proposal at a workshop session,  however  if you want to speak, you have to wait for the public portion, perhaps hours later, although the agenda doesn’t seem very long.

But Badger’s letter is, in of itself,  obnoxious because many of its assertions are not based on any data or facts, and the straw men that he brings up are designed to alarm and distract us all.

Below is a point by point discussion about most of what he says in the letter:

He opens with this message, “The plan will create more problems than existed originally.”

1. The motives of the CMA, in objecting to the plan, are disingenuous, because Badger  never mentions that the CMA is worried about parking for their religious programming which is becoming progressively more active including a year round presence.
2. “The plan suffers from exclusivity.”  He is upset that only OG residents could get a permit.  Well, yes—that’s the point of it all.
3. “Turning away our neighbors is not the solution”  Fake news!  No one would be turned away; but they may have to work a bit harder to find parking. And what “neighbors” is he referring to?
4. He is worried about the “expense.” He thinks that “$60-$90 for the first year, with renewal fees annually is cause for concern.”   Is he really worried about the “expense?”    So far no one else has even mentioned a price tag.
5. He is worried because some open permit spaces might sometimes result. He says that this is “inefficiency.”  If the plan has been developed by experts, this should be a minimal issue.
6. He says, “The plan creates an unsustainable burden for the lodging community.” He is referring to hotels.  This assertion is based on what?  It sounds like fake news.
7. Policing this service is “a poor use of police time.”  Since when is the CMA worried about that?  If Neptune passes the plan they can figure how to enforce and finance the program just as they do for everything in Neptune.
8. A “significant source of the OG parking problem is the result of neighboring municipalities.” He seems to think that talking to Asbury Park will get results. He is clueless. They already have rejected the idea of helping us.
9. Here are  some of the straw men:  “The plan will hurt businesses; it will discourage visitors; it will be unsustainable for hotels;  it will cost residents money; it will burden law enforcement; it will create more problems than existed originally;  and the plan will be “bad for residents.”   Yikes!!
10. And, the ultimate straw man:  “The CMA vision is for Ocean Grove to be the seaside community which welcomes all generations.   The proposed pilot program clashes with our welcoming vision.”   But what about the vision of those who actually live in this town—the real community of Ocean Grove?
11. And another assertion that flies in the face of reality and gets the summer problem totally wrong:     “Residents enjoy the shore 365 days a year. A year round parking restriction seeks to fix a problem which is acute only 10-12 weekends a year. Shouldn’t we share God’s beautiful ocean with others for at least the summer weekends? ”     What????

We have covered what Badger said, including his bringing God into the discussion, but he forgot to notice that the residents/community of Ocean Grove, have a problem that needs fixing and that they deserve some help as well.

He has mentioned all the factions that might be affected by the plan except for those who actually live here, spend the most time here, pay taxes here, keep up our Victorian homes here (which the tourists love) and develop a life style here.

And he doesn’t accept any responsibility on the part of the CMA to do something themselves about parking for tourists.

KELLI O’HARA:    Original Broadway cast of Nice Work If You Can Get It.  “But Not For Me.”

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